Both innovation and tradition inspire high teas in Dubai, where cake stands vary from timeless tiered porcelain plates to miniature bookshelves. The origins of this light repast are hotly disputed. Commonly credited are the mid-afternoon hunger pangs of the seventh Duchess of Bedford. Known to partake in tea, cake and sandwiches every day at 5pm, Lady Anna Russell surely helped the trend catch on in the 1800s, but historians have uncovered references to taking tea that date back as far 1600s France. From thé de cinq heures to a time-honoured English institution, the ceremony has been adopted all around the world and today Dubai offers some of the finest spreads around. Skyview Afternoon Tea, Skyview Lounge, Burj Al Arab You need an excuse to visit Burj Al Arab and Skyview Lounge’s afternoon tea is a delicious one. Armed with a booking reference number, you can cross the entry bridge to the sail-shaped landmark. Stop to marvel at the hotel’s world-famous … [Read more...] about 14 fabulous afternoon teas in grand Dubai hotels
Destinations
Book It: Four fabulous hotels in the UK for a great escape
Pull on your hiking boots and get back to nature… in five-star fashion, of course Northcote, Blackburn, Lancashire Best for… discerning foodies The low-down: On the edge of Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, this place is the perfect crash pad for walkers – the hotel can recommend routes (from a gentle 1.6km stroll to Clitheroe Castle to more challenging 11km hikes to Lancashire’s most famous hill). There are also bicycles and e-bikes available to borrow (try the 63km Hodder Valley route). Back at the hotel, it’s all about the food. Executive chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen (a MasterChef judge and current keeper of the restaurant’s Michelin star, held now for 20 years) uses ingredients gathered from local and artisan producers. The delicious six-course tasting menu included a quirkily titled ‘Flavour of Eccles Cake’ pudding when we visited. You can’t get more Lancashire than that. Out and about: With the Forest of … [Read more...] about Book It: Four fabulous hotels in the UK for a great escape
Why Napoleon couldn’t spell his own name
France's foremost 19th century figure was born 250 years ago today. His story lingers in the pretty seaside city of Ajaccio, a place worthy of a visit The house at the top end of Rue Letizia does not look like a building where an event that would tear Europe asunder took place. It is not that the property is unattractive. Its exterior walls are daubed a pale yellow, while the shutters that frame its first-floor windows are a soft turquoise-green - and this combination of colours is enough to give the structure a gentle elegance. But it also has a simplicity that leaves it overshadowed by the arboreal prettiness of the garden which faces it on Place Letizia - the unexpected sound of trees rustling in this distinctly urban setting of narrow streets and busy shop-fronts drawing the visitor's attention away from what is in front of them. To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any … [Read more...] about Why Napoleon couldn’t spell his own name
What did Napoleon do for Europe? More than you’d want to accept
Today marks 250 years since the birth of France's greatest ruler. But what was Napoleon's legacy on France – and the rest of the world? At first sight, Napoleon’s heritage has been but twofold: first, he popularised the wearing of one’s hat the wrong way on. His placing of the bicorn across his head rather than fore-and-aft was the direct forerunner of the wearing of baseball caps back-to-front, also adopted by unspeakably annoying people. Second, he made it acceptable for the shorter man to become a national leader. Both Nicolas Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi have the emperor to thank. In truth, Napoleon wasn’t that small, not like Prince or Jimmy Clitheroe. He was some 5ft 6in, about average for a 19th-century Frenchman. (About average for a mid-20th-century one, too; when I first travelled through France, I increased the mean male height wherever I went by 35 per cent). If the emperor is thought of as particularly short, it is due to British propaganda. Our … [Read more...] about What did Napoleon do for Europe? More than you’d want to accept
How I danced my empty-nester blues away on a solo trip to Havana
Arriving at Havana’s José Martí airport in mid-July, the hottest time of year, seemed insane. When I stepped out of arrivals, the heat hit me like a hot flannel – well, it would at 32C (90F) and 80 per cent humidity, with the sun still blazing at 6pm. Changing pounds to CUCs, lugging a big suitcase and finding a taxi all seemed too much at first, as I have grown accustomed to asking my long-suffering son to wait by the luggage so I can find my passport and other essentials. But this year we were travelling separately, and I was going solo as a 50-plus single mum. The last time I’d travelled alone was 25 years ago, on a 10-week trip to Mexico, but without the cares and responsibilities of family life. Luckily I speak Spanish to a level that allows me to get into conversations and out of scrapes – certainly useful in my 30s, and hopefully in Cuba now, I thought. Given all this, I felt strangely optimistic and was eager for the experience to begin. … [Read more...] about How I danced my empty-nester blues away on a solo trip to Havana